


Invitation

by tuesday



Category: Original Work
Genre: Eldritch, Gen, Summoning, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:15:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27177730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuesday/pseuds/tuesday
Summary: The invitation had somehow gone awry.  Catherine realized that much when her guest arrived for tea.  The butler—a staid, solid, reliable man who'd been in her family's service for most of her life—made a horrible, high-pitched screeching noise instead of introducing said guest and then collapsed.  Or perhaps that screeching noisewasthe introduction.
Relationships: Human Woman Who Accidentally Summons A Tea-Drinking Eldritch Abomination & Eldritch Abomination
Comments: 9
Kudos: 72
Collections: Trick or Treat Exchange 2020





	Invitation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nununununu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nununununu/gifts).



The invitation had somehow gone awry. Catherine realized that much when her guest arrived for tea. The butler—a staid, solid, reliable man who'd been in her family's service for most of her life—made a horrible, high-pitched screeching noise instead of introducing said guest and then collapsed. Or perhaps that screeching noise _was_ the introduction.

Catherine looked from Edward, her butler, twitching on the floor, to her new guest, a writhing mass of shadows emerging from what appeared to be a void in space, to the refreshments she'd made herself and just set out in preparation for catching up with an old friend who was supposed to be in town for the week. Francis would forgive her for serving someone else his favored blend. She could always pick up more later, and it wasn't like it would keep.

"Please do help yourself," Catherine said, gesturing at the steaming cup of Assam, settling into the chair that let her put her back to the wall. "I'm afraid I wasn't expecting you. Forgive me if the tea isn't to your liking."

The guest glided into their chair with the same eerie grace as they had glided into the room. A mass of shadows poured forth from their center and swept over the tea. The steam dissipated. All the warmth felt like it had gone out of the room.

Catherine took a sip of her own tea. She didn't taste it. Her hand was steady as she replaced teacup in its saucer without so much as a click to show her distress. Her voice was not quite as steady as she asked, "And what prompted this visit?"

Some of the shadows moved over the little cakes Catherine had prepared. For a moment, she thought this was the guest sampling the food in the same way it had the tea, but they lingered over the centerpiece, a larger cake Catherine had decorated with a design she'd found in a sketchbook in her grandmother's study. The strawberry icing she'd so carefully placed over the cream cheese frosting gleamed a deep and unnatural red. As Catherine studied the design with fresh eyes, the shadows withdrew from inside the depths of her guest a second invitation. This one was addressed to Francis.

"Ah, I see," Catherine said faintly. If she peered a little closer, she imagined she could almost see Francis's profile in one of the shadows her guest cast. "Invited twice over as both guest and plus one." Catherine hoped Francis hadn't had any important plans for the week. She cast about for a topic of conversation. "How do you like the tea?"

With what Catherine could only assume was enthusiasm, her guest finished the cup she'd poured, saucer and all.

"I'm glad it meets your approval." She was less glad she'd put out the good china—especially when her guest reached for the pot. Catherine was never basing decorations on old sketchbooks ever again. At the very least, she was going to check they were actual art sketches and not practice for summonings or other rituals. 

"I don't suppose you've heard any good gossip lately?" 

Her guest didn't answer, moving on to _her_ tea. 

"No, I suppose not."

At least she could comfort herself that afternoon tea was a shorter affair than dinner might have been. And it was actually far more pleasant than when Georgie came around and brought her latest fling with her. At least there was less broken furniture. When they were done and nothing remained of their refreshments, not even the plates, Edward revived and started to show her guest out. Her guest paused at the door. They turned back.

" **Next time,** " her guest spoke with the rough, discordant tones of a thousand voices that had screamed themselves raw, " **serve Darjeeling.** "

They swept out the door and into the night, abandoning Francis at the foot of her steps. He sat up and looked around with an air of confusion, then levered himself to his feet and wandered off without so much as a hello.

Catherine swallowed. She closed the door despite Edward right there beside her. She said, "That wasn't so bad. At least we'll know for next time to use the cheap place settings. And I like Darjeeling."

"Miss, I say this with the deepest and most abiding respect," Edward said. "You make the worst friends."

Catherine couldn't disagree.


End file.
